Franco Morbidelli took a dramatic pole position for Sunday’s German Moto2 Grand Prix after snatching top spot from the grasp of team-mate Alex Marquez in the dying seconds of qualifying. Two heavy downpours, one prior to the session and another midway through, saw the conditions change rapidly but with the circuit drying late on, Morbidelli’s last gasp flyer would win the day.
In the early stages, it looked as though Miguel Oliveira was on course for his and KTM’s second pole of the season with the Portuguese rider clocking a 1:34.388 prior to the second rain shower. It wasn’t until the final ten minutes that conditions improved sufficiently for the other riders to challenge him but once they did, a frantic dash was on.
The major shock came from debutant Hector Garzo who regularly figured among the top three riders. The teenage Spaniard, replacing the injured Xavi Vierge, was following Morbidelli around the Sachsenring and at times, even outpacing the championship leader as he threatened a shock result.
Provisional pole changed hands repeatedly in the closing seconds with Sandro Cortese delighting the home crowd with a 1:32.536 but the Dynavolt rider was knocked off the top by Marquez shortly after the chequered flag was flown, leaving Cortese with no right of reply. Marquez was equally powerless as Morbidelli pulled out a blistering final sector to snatch pole by a quarter of a second, leading a Marc VDS 1-2.
Cortese completes the front row with Mattia Pasini heading row two, just ahead of the sensational Garzo and long-time polesitter Oliveira. Championship challenger Thomas Luthi starts seventh ahead of Simone Corsi and Fabio Quartararo while Francesco Bagnaia rounds out the top ten.
Moto2 GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland – Qualifying
[table id=2180 /]
